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The AirPods Pro 3 Can Read Your Heart Rate During Workouts, Without the Need of an Apple Watch

by admin September 11, 2025

Apple unveiled the new AirPods Pro 3 during its “awe-dropping” event Tuesday. The latest iteration of the Pro earpods has improved noise cancellation, the ability to translate other languages in real time, better and clearer sound quality, and water resistance, so it can handle your sweatiest workouts. But the AirPods Pro’s newest standout feature is its ability to read your heart rate using a small sensor implanted in the earpiece.

That means during your daily walks or workouts, your AirPods will be able to capture your heart rate using a unique infrared light sensor and a new on-device AI model that tracks heart rate and calories burned. All this data will be tracked in Apple’s Fitness app.

Additionally, the new AirPods will also give you access to Workout Buddy, a fitness feature that uses Apple Intelligence to collect your workout data, fitness history and more to personalize your workout experience. So if you’re going for a walk or run, these AirPods will function like a coach, motivating you during your workout. If you’re already an Apple Fitness Plus member, you’ll be able to use these AirPods to view your real-time performance metrics like heart rate, calories burned, Burn Bar and close the Move ring on screen.

The addition of the heart rate sensor took me by surprise, since these types of sensors are commonly used on wearables around the wrist, like the Apple Watch, or as a smart ring. However, it does make me wonder how accurate or in sync the data will be if someone owns both the AirPods Pro 3 and an Apple Watch. Now that both can record your workouts, it will be interesting to see how it plays out as people use them in the real world.

The Apple AirPods Pro 3 are now available for preorder and will hit stores next Friday, Sept. 19. Pricing starts at $249 (£219, AU$429).

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September 11, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Watch The Sims 4 Adventure Awaits gameplay here

by admin September 10, 2025

Less than one week on from the reveal trailer of The Sims 4’s next major expansion, Adventure Awaits, we’ve got a date with a look at actual gameplay. EA likes to do this a lot with The Sims; tease/reveal an expansion a week or so before showing off gameplay.

Today’s gameplay trailer will be going live on YouTube, and we’re here to help you watch it.

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The new Adventure Awaits gameplay trailer today airs at 8am PT, 11am ET, 4pm UK on The Sims’ official YouTube channel. We’ve also embedded it below for your convenience.

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Adventure Awaits, which arrives October 2, is another expansion whose themes the community accurately predicted. If you’ve seen the reveal trailer, you’ll know the expansion is all about leaving your home to go on different kinds of vacations.

Through the new Getaway system, you’ll be able to travel to beach-themed locations, camp in the woods, design a fitness retreat, create a Survivor-eqsque competition of reality TV challenges and more.

Adventure Awaits lets you create custom venues that you can share with other players, and there are two new locations that those creations can be based on, Camp Gibbi Gibbi, and Love Highland.

We’ll be back soon with more on Adventure Awaits.

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September 10, 2025 0 comments

Esports

2025 MLB Awards Watch: MVP, Cy Young and more for September

by admin September 10, 2025

Bradford DoolittleSep 10, 2025, 07:00 AM ET
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Just as baseball’s postseason chase has entered the stretch run, those vying for individual honors are running out of time to make their cases.

This is our fourth and final Awards Watch of the regular season, and with that in mind, we’ve changed up our usual format to narrow the focus of each race to the leading contenders in each category.

What races are all but decided? Which ones remain very much up in the air? Let’s dig in.

Most Valuable Player

Olivia Vanni/Getty Images

American League

Leading contenders: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees (153 AXE) vs. Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners (144)

Next eight: 3. Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals (142); 4. Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians (135); 5. Julio Rodriguez, Mariners (132); 6. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays (131); 7. Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins (130); 8. Corey Seager, Texas Rangers (129); 9. (tie) Jeremy Pena, Houston Astros, Cody Bellinger, Yankees, Maikel Garcia, Royals (128)

ESPN BET top two: Judge (-350, 78% chance of winning), Raleigh (+200)

Sizing up the race: This race is closer than AXE and the odds suggest. In fact, it would not surprise me if they are wrong altogether. Either way, the chase isn’t over.

What is AXE?

AXE is a rating system developed to combine the results from the leading publicly available value metrics to create a consensus evaluation of each player. These include bWAR, fWAR, win probability added and championship probability added. The ratings for each system are combined using standard scores and weighted to best fit the current standings.

The results are expressed as an index, with 100 as average, 110 as one standard deviation above, 120 two standard deviations above, 90 one standard deviation below, etc.

The manager version of AXE (EARL) considers factors that tend to influence postseason balloting in this category, like winning above/below preseason expectation, outperforming run differential, performance in close games, etc. It should not be viewed as a measure of managerial ability.

Odds from ESPN Bet are listed and used as the basis for the implied probability percentages noted with them.

It shouldn’t be controversial to suggest that Judge has had the better offensive season despite Raleigh’s historic home run pace and league-leading RBI total. His percentages are decidedly better across the board, and even if you contextualize for playing venue, Judge has a 40-point edge in OPS+ and, at FanGraphs, a 37-point bulge in wRC+. Raleigh has played in more games, but Judge has still created 31 more runs while using 68 fewer outs. Judge also leads AL hitters in both win probability added and championship probability added. Raleigh ranks fifth in both stats, which are folded into the AXE calculations.

After that, a number of factors tilt toward Raleigh. As a catcher, Raleigh plays a more valuable defensive position and has played it very well. FanGraphs ranks him as the fourth-most valuable defender in the AL. Of course, a chunk of that is due to pitch-framing metrics, which are measured differently at Baseball Reference, which is why Judge has a more commanding lead in that site’s version of WAR.

Then we come to factors of narrative. Raleigh might be having the best season a catcher has ever had. He already has crushed the single-season record for home runs by a backstop and is on the cusp of passing the record for switch-hitters set 64 years ago by Mickey-freaking-Mantle. If that happens, and if Raleigh gets to 60 homers — as a catcher — and does so on a playoff team, how does he not win MVP?

How it can flip: Raleigh has hit .208 since the All-Star break, and as his season average slips downward, soon to drop under .240, you do wonder if he’s vulnerable to an end-of-season crash. He is a catcher after all, and as much as the Mariners try to give him DH days to take the load off, he might be wearing down. If he flails from here and the Mariners miss the playoffs, a typical finish from Judge might be enough to convince voters their heads should never have turned toward Raleigh in the first place.

Prediction: Raleigh breaks Mantle’s record, doesn’t reach 60 homers, but keeps his numbers just strong enough to fend off Judge at the finish line.

National League

Leading contenders: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers (152 AXE) vs. Juan Soto, New York Mets (140)

Next eight: 3. Trea Turner, Philadelphia Phillies (138); 4. (tie) Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs, Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres, Geraldo Perdomo, Arizona Diamondbacks (135); 7. (tie) Corbin Carroll, Diamondbacks, Francisco Lindor, Mets (132); 9. Kyle Tucker, Cubs (131); 10. (tie) Will Smith, Dodgers, Ketel Marte, Diamondbacks, Brice Turang, Milwaukee Brewers, Nico Hoerner, Cubs, Kyle Schwarber, Phillies (127)

ESPN BET top two: Ohtani (-25000, 99.6% chance of winning), Schwarber (+2500)

Sizing up the race: Ohtani seems to have a stranglehold on this one, especially since the betting markets favor Schwarber as his leading challenger. Nothing against Schwarber, who is having an epic season, but the metrics don’t support that at all.

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Although the leaderboard happily stretches down to Schwarber’s spot because of ties, you can see that it’s basically Ohtani and everybody else. He combines Schwarber’s power in the slugging and homer categories with virtually all of Soto’s on-base mastery. Soto is having a shockingly prolific season in the steals category, but given that Ohtani has lapped the field in runs scored, he still wins the baserunning part of the race. And, oh yeah, Ohtani tacks on 36 innings of excellent pitching (2.17 FIP), giving him plenty of defensive value as opposed to the negative fielding metrics of both Soto and Schwarber, primarily a DH.

On the contextual side, Ohtani leads the NL in win probability added and championship probability added. Soto is second in both categories, and Schwarber is out of the top 10. Again: Advantage Shohei.

How it can flip: Ohtani appears to have his fourth MVP trophy — and third straight — all but in the bag. Only Barry Bonds (seven) has won more often. And only Bonds, who won each season from 2001 to 2004, has won three seasons in a row. As for the others, of all the names on the leaderboard, Turner has been the hottest of late, so maybe he ends up in the No. 2 slot by season’s end.

Prediction: Ohtani in a landslide.

Cy Young

Brandon Sloter/Getty Images

American League

Leading contenders: Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers (146 AXE) vs. Garrett Crochet, Boston Red Sox (139)

Next eight: 3. Hunter Brown, Astros (135); 4. Nathan Eovaldi, Rangers (128); 5. Trevor Rogers, Baltimore Orioles (127); 6. (tie) Framber Valdez, Astros, Joe Ryan, Twins (125); 8. (tie) Max Fried, Yankees, Aroldis Chapman, Red Sox (123); 10. (tie) Michael Wacha, Royals, Drew Rasmussen, Tampa Bay Rays (122)

ESPN BET top two: Skubal (-4000, 97.6% chance of winning), Crochet (+1600)

Sizing up the race: This race remains alive, according to AXE, though Skubal has the edge in all of the bottom-line metrics. The betting markets are a little more emphatic, and those reflect an anticipation of how things will play out from here.

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Both ace lefties have seemingly picked up momentum as the season has progressed. Over the past month, Crochet is 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA and a ridiculous K-to-BB ratio of 40-to-2 over 33 innings. And yet he has gained no ground on Skubal, who is 2-1 with a 1.04 ERA over the same time frame with a more human 35-to-7 ratio.

The two leading versions of WAR can be maddeningly inconsistent on the pitching side, but both systems give Skubal more than a full-win advantage over Crochet. Crochet does hold a narrow advantage in win probability added, but Skubal tops the AL in championship probability added.

How it can flip: The race is clearly Skubal’s to lose, but he needs to keep doing what he’s doing, because the margins are close enough for Crochet to overtake him. For both hurlers, every start from here on out is crucial.

Prediction: Skubal should hold on, if only because he has shown zero evidence of slowing down his epic pace. Unless Skubal struggles, there seems to be no opening for Crochet to squeeze through, no matter how well he pitches.

National League

Leading contenders: Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates (142 AXE) vs. Cristopher Sanchez, Phillies (142)

Next eight: 3. Zack Wheeler, Phillies (131); 4. (tie) Freddy Peralta, Brewers, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dodgers (129); 6. (tie) Nick Pivetta, Padres, Ranger Suarez, Phillies (128); 8. Andrew Abbott, Cincinnati Reds (126); 9. Logan Webb, San Francisco Giants (125); 10. (tie) Jesus Luzardo, Phillies, Nick Lodolo, Reds (123)

ESPN BET top two: Skenes (-20000, 99.5% chance of winning), Sanchez (+1600)

Sizing up the race: The betting markets see Skenes as having an almost Ohtani-like grip on this race. The metrics see it as a dead heat. I tend to think the latter is closer to true than the former, but the markets are typically a reliable indicator.

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Both versions of WAR give Skenes a narrow edge over Sanchez. However, the systems are really confusing when stacked up against each other, with both favorites showing around a full win more value at Baseball Reference than at FanGraphs. That’s nothing to Peralta, the hottest pitcher on the list when compared with our past Awards Watch, whose Baseball Reference WAR is two wins higher than at FanGraphs. This is a prime example of how frustrating the disparities between the systems can be when, after all, they profess to measure the same thing, using the same framework, under precisely the same “wins above replacement” label.

Skenes has an edge in win probability added over Sanchez, who ranks third (San Diego reliever Adrian Morejon is second). But since Skenes toils for a last-place team, Sanchez’s league-leading championship probability added total leaves Skenes (ranked 51st in the NL) in the dust.

It isn’t Skenes’ fault that his team stinks, but it’s precisely why I included championship probability in the calculation. It’s designed to be more of a tiebreaker than anything. If the overall value produced by two players is similar, it seems logical to consider the contexts in which they put up that value.

So, are the overall performances close? Yes, very. Skenes’ sub-2.00 ERA is eye-catching and is likely the number that tags him as the favorite. But his edge in FIP (2.42 to 2.59) is narrow, which explains why he and Sanchez are close in WAR. Their volumes are similar.

How it can flip: It’s a tough call, and if both pitchers should falter down the stretch, Peralta still has a chance to sneak in. But they’d have to struggle because volume (i.e., innings pitched) is a huge factor in today’s pitching environment. Skenes and Sanchez have separated themselves in terms of combining quantity and quality.

Prediction: We probably shouldn’t overthink it. Skenes is the NL’s best pitcher, which isn’t always the same thing as “most deserving Cy Young candidate,” but in this case the two descriptions line up well. The Pirates haven’t backed Skenes off his usual workload, so if he makes the rest of his starts and keeps that ERA under 2.00, Sanchez faces an uphill battle.

Rookie of the Year

Scott Marshall/Getty Images

American League

Leading contenders: Nick Kurtz, Athletics (127 AXE) vs. Roman Anthony, Red Sox (117)

Next eight: 3. Jacob Wilson, Athletics (116); 4. (tie) Noah Cameron, Royals, Carlos Narvaez, Red Sox (113); 6. Colson Montgomery, Chicago White Sox (111); 7. Kyle Teel, White Sox (109); 8. Luke Keaschall, Twins (108); 9. Mike Vasil, White Sox (107); 10. (tie) Jack Leiter, Rangers, Will Warren, Yankees, Shane Smith, White Sox

ESPN BET top two: Kurtz (-50000, 99.8% chance of winning), Anthony (+4000)

Sizing up the race: Anthony is listed above as a leading contender for display purposes only, because this race is over. Kurtz was a heavy favorite already, but the oblique injury that is expected to sideline Anthony for the rest of the regular season sealed the deal. As Klingon Commander Kor said to Captain James T. Kirk, “It would have been glorious.”

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You can’t really win a season award in baseball because of one game. But in Kurtz’s case, his four-homer game against Houston on July 25, in which he had six hits, scored six runs and tied the single-game total base record, comes pretty close. At the very least, it puts his name at the forefront in the minds of voters looking at this season’s rookie class.

At this point, Kurtz’s race is against history. His 1.021 OPS ranks as the fifth best among AL or NL rookies since 1900. The list is topped by Judge’s 1.049 in 2017. Kurtz would have to get blistering hot from here, but it’s not impossible. In terms of OPS+, Kurtz’s 177 currently tops them all, with Jose Abreu’s 173 in 2014 the current end-of-season mark.

You can do this all day, but just a little more: Kurtz’s per-162-game line is currently .301/.397/.624 with 47 homers, 118 RBIs and 123 runs. The dude is 22 years old.

How it can flip: The universe is a complex, unpredictable thing, but at the moment, it’s hard to see any scenario that doesn’t end with Kurtz becoming the Athletics’ ninth Rookie of the Year and first since Andrew Bailey in 2009.

Prediction: Kurtz in a unanimous vote.

National League

Leading contenders: Isaac Collins, Brewers (115 AXE) vs. Drake Baldwin, Atlanta Braves (113)

Next eight: 3. Caleb Durbin, Brewers (111); 4. (tie) Cade Horton, Cubs, Jakob Marsee, Miami Marlins (110); 6. Chad Patrick, Brewers (109); 7. (tie) Braxton Ashcraft, Pirates, Matt Shaw, Cubs, Jack Dreyer, Dodgers (107); 10. (tie) Hurston Waldrep, Braves, Nolan McLean, Mets (106)

ESPN BET top three: Horton (-115, 54% chance of winning), Baldwin (+125), Collins (+600)

Sizing up the race: The markets recently bumped Horton up into favorite’s status but don’t seem to be very convicted about it. The markets aren’t wrong; this race has been a hodgepodge all season. Last time, I drolly suggested the award just go to the Milwaukee Brewers. It’s not entirely a joke. I track team WAR from rookies using a consensus between Baseball Reference and FanGraphs. Here’s the leaderboard:

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1. White Sox (11.55 rookie WAR)
2. Brewers (7.61)
3. Red Sox (5.65)
4. Athletics (5.50)
5. Braves (4.11)

The White Sox have wisely gone all-in with deploying rookies in this rebuilding season, but the Brewers are the best team in baseball. Three Brewers rookies are in the above top 10, and the electric Jacob Misiorowski isn’t far off the pace. (Incidentally, on a recent trip to Milwaukee, I learned that Misiorowski’s family dog is named after Kevin Bacon, which merits extra credit.)

All of this is to avoid the topic at hand, because I really don’t know who should win this race. But I do think that Collins, as the leading representative of the NL’s top rookie class, is deserving for now. But now is a fleeting concept, and Horton is the hottest two-times-through-the-order pitcher on the planet.

Also, you’ll notice that McLean’s 4-1, 1.42 ERA start to his career has already pushed him into the top 10. He probably can’t win?

How it can flip: The markets have picked up on how hot Horton is, and if all current trends continue (which they of course will not), he’ll probably win. Over his past nine outings, Horton is 6-1 with a 0.77 ERA.

Prediction: Horton has allowed less than a run every other start since the All-Star break. If he maintains anything close to that pace, he’ll win. Otherwise, give it to a Brewer.

Manager of the Year

Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images

American League

Leading contenders: A.J. Hinch, Tigers (108.3 EARL) vs. John Schneider, Blue Jays (107.8)

Next three: 3. Joe Espada, Astros (107.0); 4. Warren Schaeffer/Ron Washington, Los Angeles Angels (106.3); 5. Stephen Vogt, Guardians (105.2)

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Sizing up the race: ESPN BET doesn’t help us with the manager races, but these standings make sense. It truly feels like a coin flip between Hinch and Schneider at this point.

How it can flip: EARL gives Hinch the razor-thin edge, but it probably comes down to which team lands the top overall seed in the AL bracket. Thus, the end of the season will determine this race. For what it’s worth, Hinch’s club has a hammerlock on the AL Central title, while Schneider’s Blue Jays have plenty of work to do in holding off the Yankees and Red Sox.

Prediction: Hinch’s Tigers will land that top seed and give him the leg up in the awards balloting. It would be his first Manager of the Year Award after five previous top-five finishes in the balloting.

National League

Leading contenders: Pat Murphy, Brewers (113.7 EARL) vs. Clayton McCullough, Marlins (106.9)

Next three: 3. Oliver Marmol, St. Louis Cardinals (106.1); 4. Rob Thomson, Phillies (103.9); 5. Craig Counsell, Cubs (103.4)

Sizing up the race: Murphy is going to win his second straight NL Manager of the Year Award. Everything works in his favor. The Brewers have thumped their preseason projections and are likely to enter the playoffs as the top overall seed. They are 26-17 in one-run games. They have all those rookies. And they play a team-oriented style built on contributions from a number of unsung role players.

Among the others, Counsell is most likely to finish second. McCullough has a tiny edge by EARL, but the Marlins’ recent pitching collapse has his trajectory arrow pointed downward.

How it can flip: The only way for this outlook to change is a Brewers collapse paired with an epic Cubs finish that allows Chicago to overcome its huge NL Central deficit and win the division. Otherwise, Murphy will once again outshine the guy he coached at Notre Dame and with whom he later worked as the bench coach in Milwaukee.

Prediction: A Murph runaway.

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September 10, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

Apple’s iPhone 17 Event Is Today. Here’s How to Watch

by admin September 9, 2025

Apple’s annual fall iPhone launch event is here. The keynote kicks off at 10 a.m. PT. Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 lineup, which could include a slimmer version of the phone, as well as the Apple Watch Series 11 and the AirPods Pro 3.

The invite, which Apple sent on Aug. 26, shows the title “awe dropping,” with a dynamic Apple logo that seems to reference Siri’s colorful glow.

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There’s also an interactive element when you view the invite on Apple.com. With a finger (phone or tablet) or a mouse/trackpad pointer (computer), you can move across the logo and watch the colors go from a cool blue to a vivid orange, possibly evoking the Liquid Glass design element in iOS 26, which exhibits light-bending qualities across apps and functions. You can read more theories about what the fall event invite might signify.

The keynote will be held at Apple Park in Cupertino, California. CNET will be covering the announcements live, so be sure to follow along.

Get ready for an awe dropping #AppleEvent on Tuesday, September 9! pic.twitter.com/uAcYp2RLMM

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) August 26, 2025

How to watch Apple’s iPhone 17 reveal

Technically, Apple has yet to confirm the iPhone 17, but the company typically unveils its latest handsets at its fall event.

You can tune into the iPhone 17 event by watching the official livestream on Apple’s website or via the livestream on Apple’s YouTube channel. Those streams are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET. CNET’s reporters will also be on the ground and bringing you all the updates.

What might Apple be cooking up?

Rumors for the upcoming slate of iPhones have been plentiful. Stealing the spotlight is the supposed iPhone 17 Air, which could follow in the footsteps of Samsung’s sleek Galaxy S25 Edge and have a slim profile and lightweight design. The Pro model could get a scratch-resistant, antireflective display and an 8x telephoto lens, and the Pro Max could pack a bigger battery. The baseline iPhone 17 could also boast a higher refresh rate. It’s possible that all the phones may include an Apple-developed 5G modem called the C1 chip, which debuted on the iPhone 16E, as well as in-house Wi-Fi chips.

We also expect to learn more about the public rollout of iOS 26 later this fall. The new operating system features a Liquid Glass interface that brings a more transparent, lens-like look to the iPhone and other Apple devices. The Camera app also gets a more minimalistic design, Messages lets you create polls in group chats and a new screening tool can better detect spam texts. You can check out all the features coming to iOS 26.

Watch this: Apple Will Reveal the iPhone 17 Soon. Here’s What We Want

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Will there be a Siri overhaul?

What we might not hear as much about is the updated version of Siri that Apple unveiled at its Worldwide Developers Conference last year. The smarter version of the AI assistant has faced repeated delays and may not arrive until next year. But Apple could discuss other Apple Intelligence updates and features arriving on its new devices.

Watch CNET’s livestream

CNET’s reporters will be on the ground, bringing you all the latest updates and impressions of whatever Apple has in store. You can watch our livestream here starting at 9:30 a.m. PT/12:30 p.m. ET:

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September 9, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

Apple announces new entry-level Apple Watch SE 3 with always-on display

by admin September 9, 2025

Apple has a refreshed entry-level smartwatch for 2025, the new Apple Watch SE 3. Announced at its “awe dropping” event alongside new iPhones, the new SE 3 gets a faster S10 processor, more battery life, and (finally) an always-on display.

The 2025 Apple Watch SE is a follow-up to the outgoing model, which was launched back in 2022. It’s once again Apple’s new base model wearable — typically a parts-bin remix of previous and current flagship features offered for a lower price. This isthe third iteration of Apple’s cheaper watches. The last-gen SE started at $249 for a 40mm version and $279 for 44mm. It used the same size screen and design of the older Apple Watch Series 6, but it shared the newer S8 processor of the Series 8 and Ultra watches that it launched beside. But it left out features like an always-on display and sensors for temperature, EKG, and blood oxygen.

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September 9, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

NASA to Make Major Announcement About Martian Rock Sample on Wednesday. Here’s How to Watch

by admin September 9, 2025

In July 2024, NASA’s Perseverance rover extracted a rock core from the edge of Neretva Vallis, a river valley cut into the Martian surface by water rushing into the Jezero Crater billions of years ago. This mysterious rock caught the attention of scientists on Earth, as its features may reveal clues about possible ancient life on the Red Planet.

At 11 a.m. ET on Wednesday, September 10, NASA will host a press conference to discuss the analysis of the sample, dubbed “Sapphire Canyon,” and the subject of a forthcoming study. Participants include Sean Duffy, acting NASA administrator; Nicky Fox, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate; Lindsay Hays, senior scientist for Mars Exploration; Katie Stack Morgan, Perseverance project scientist; and Joel Hurowitz, a planetary scientist at Stony Brook University.

NASA will livestream the event on its YouTube channel, and you can watch it right here at the stream provided below. You can also watch the livestream through the NASA app, available for both iOS and Android.

What is “Sapphire Canyon”?

NASA believes the ancient lake delta in Jezero Crater is the best place for Perseverance to hunt for signs of past microbial life. Since arriving in this 28-mile-wide (45-kilometer-wide) impact crater in February 2021, the rover has gathered 30 samples of rock and regolith for a potential return to Earth.

The Sapphire Canyon sample was the 25th collected by Perseverance. The arrowhead-shaped specimen, extracted from a vein-filled rock named “Cheyava Falls,” features a striking pattern. Tiny black spots that NASA scientists call “poppy seeds” are interspersed among larger “leopard” spots, potentially indicating past chemical reactions that could have provided an energy source for microbes.

Perseverance captured this image of a rock called Cheyava Falls on July 18, 2024. © Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS, Labels: Gizmodo

Perseverance also took multiple scans of Cheyava Falls with its SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals) instrument. This indicated that the rock contains organic compounds—the building blocks of life. While it’s possible that these compounds formed through non-biological processes, their presence alongside Cheyava’s spots suggests this rock contains a potential biosignature.

What to expect from tomorrow’s event

NASA has not revealed any details about the forthcoming study’s findings, but the fact that the agency is holding a press conference to announce them suggests they’re a big deal.

Perseverance is equipped with a suite of instruments capable of detailed chemical, mineralogical, and imaging analysis. It’s possible that analyzing the rover’s data on Cheyava Falls and the Sapphire Canyon sample revealed more evidence for potential biosignatures. It’s also possible that the analysis pointed to alternative, geological explanations for the rock’s strange features.

Whatever NASA reveals at the press conference will be just the tip of the iceberg compared with what Sapphire Canyon could teach us if it returns to Earth. Researchers are already investigating the best ways to study Sapphire Canyon once they can get their hands on it.

NASA has partnered with the European Space Agency to plan a multi-mission campaign to retrieve Perseverance’s samples, but progress has stalled due to escalating costs and complexity. President Trump’s fiscal year 2026 budget proposal threatened to kill the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission, but Congress moved to reinstate its funding in July.

With the future of MSR uncertain, it’s encouraging that NASA scientists still have exciting new findings to share about Perseverance’s samples, even from 140 million miles (225 million kilometers) away. As the search for ancient life on Mars continues, tomorrow’s event is one you won’t want to miss.

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September 9, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

Gear News of the Week: Veo 3 Comes to Google Photos, and Garmin Adds Satellite Comms to a Watch

by admin September 8, 2025

Google via Julian Chokkattu

A few months ago, Google debuted a feature in Google Photos that lets you convert your existing photos into short videos using generative AI. These videos introduce slight synthetic movements to your stills, so a person may appear to slightly shift around in the frame, or a picture of your sleeping pup could gain a leg twitch. This week, the company upgraded this feature with its Veo 3 video generation model, which boosts the quality of the results.

To play around with it, head to any photo in Google Photos, tap the three-dot button at the top right, and tap Create. Choose the Photo to Video option, and then pick between Subtle Movement or I’m Feeling Lucky, which will be a little more creative. I tried it on a photo of my wife and it had her raise her arms to make a heart sign. (The fingers looked surprisingly realistic, though my wife exclaimed that her hands looked massive.) Google says you can even combine its Photo to Video tool with other Create tools, like Remix, which can change the style of the photo to a sketch or 3D animation.

The Veo 3-powered version of the feature is now available in the US.

Garmin Finally Launches Watches With Satellite Communication

Courtesy of Garmin

As Taylor Swift and Tom Jones have both observed, “It’s been a long time coming.” Garmin, manufacturer of our favorite outdoor fitness trackers and hands down the best satellite messenger, finally added satellite and cellular communication to a smartwatch. The new Fenix 8 Pro has Garmin’s inReach technology inside, which means you can send messages over satellite or cellular networks to Garmin’s Response team. Not only can you trigger emergency alerts, but you can also send texts, make calls, and check the weather forecasts. It also has a MicroLED screen that can deliver up to 5,000 nits of brightness, making it not only visible in your tent at night but everyone else’s. (That’s a joke.)

There are two versions of the watch. The AMOLED screen comes in 47- and 51-mm sizes and gets up to 27 days of battery life per charge, while the MicroLED version comes only in a 51-mm size and gets up to 10 days of battery life in smartwatch mode. The Fenix 8 is already our favorite outdoor sports watch, and the ability to easily use satellite communication when you need it only makes it even more useful. It almost makes you overlook the sting of its enormous price—the MicroLED version goes for a cool $2,000, which seems less expensive when you consider that you previously may have had several devices to cover your bases before (a smartwatch for work, a fitness tracker for working out, and a satellite communicator for off-grid shenanigans). The AMOLED version is only $1,100. Both models will be available for purchase on September 8. —Adrienne So

Polar Made a Whoop Band

Courtesy of Polar

Fitness tracker company Polar announced the Polar Loop this week, its first screenless tracker that, well … there’s no way to get around it: The Polar Loop looks remarkably similar to the Whoop band, a black, bracelet-style screenless tracker. However, unlike Whoop (which requires a $199 yearly subscription to use), every feature is available on the Polar Loop from day one, with no added fees. Polar’s bracelet is designed for 24/7 wear. Its suite of fitness metrics is more limited—it doesn’t track blood pressure and can’t detect Afib—but it does have auto-activity tracking, sleep tracking, and a few training tools, like Training Load and Fitness Test. Everything is accessible through the Polar Flow app.

I’ve tested many Polar fitness trackers, and Polar’s heart rate monitor is our top pick. While I appreciate the accuracy and beauty of the hardware, I’ve found its app and metrics very difficult to use and parse. As the popularity of the Whoop band and the entire smart ring product category has shown, there is a real hunger for what Polar CEO Sander Werring calls “discreet, screenless experiences.” You can always layer a watch in front of it! —Adrienne So

JBL Is Down to Party

JBL debuted a trio of new Bluetooth speakers, including two large boombox-style party speakers and a cool portable go-anywhere model. The new Boombox 4 and PartyBox 700 may have hilariously on-the-nose names, but they will also offer appropriate amounts of power. The former kicks out 210 watts of power and two additional woofers for more bass than the previous model, with up to 30 hours of play time and a life-proof IP68 rating. The PartyBox 700 is the largest JBL party speaker that runs on battery, with a hilariously loud 800 watts of power and 15 hours of playback; this thing is meant to replace a PA at your next block party. At $550 and $1,099, respectively, these are meant for folks who need seriously loud models.

Courtesy of JBL

The most exciting speaker for most people will be the new JBL Grip, a $100 speaker that has a cool integrated rope hook and a nightlight for in-tent (or under-blanket) reading. Its battery can provide up to 14 hours of playback, and the speaker features JBL’s now-standard Auracast—also available on the above speakers—to allow you to pair multiple speakers together. —Parker Hall

ExpressVPN Mixes Things Up

Courtesy of ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is overhauling its subsription offerings and phasing out the single, streamlined plan the company has offered for 16 years. In its place are three new plans priced at different tiers, each with different features. It’s a clear hit back at rivals like Surfshark, Nord, and Proton, each of which has built out robust security suites that go far beyond a VPN.

Even with the new options, ExpressVPN’s core service remains intact. The new Basic tier ($13 per month) replaces the subscription ExpressVPN previously offered, with the only difference being a bump from eight simultaneous connections to 10. The next tier is Advanced at $14 per month, and above that is Pro at $20 per month. You can score a discount on any plan by buying an entire year at once.

The new Advanced and Pro tiers include a lot of extras, so it’s worth looking over the list published by ExpressVPN. Some highlights include Keys, ExpressVPN’s password manager, identity theft monitoring on the Advanced plan, and a dedicated IP and data removal services on the Pro plan.

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September 8, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

Why Little Pepe is the next layer-2 memecoin to watch

by admin September 7, 2025

Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.

Little Pepe presale surges 110%, with 45% gains still open before launch, and a bold $5 target ahead.

Summary

Little Pepe presale is nearly sold out at $0.0021, offering 45% gains before launch at $0.003.
Built on Ethereum Layer 2, Little Pepe is fast, affordable, and equipped with anti-sniper protections.
It has a CertiK audit score of 95.49% and a CoinMarketCap listing, boosting credibility and trust.

In 2017, Ripple’s XRP shocked the market by climbing over 35,000%, turning many regular investors into millionaires in just a short time. Many look back on that moment and wish they had leaped.

Today, a new project called Little Pepe (LILPEPE) creates that same spark of opportunity, offering investors a shot at strong returns. Early buyers in its presale are already up 110%, and those joining in stage 12 still stand to capture about 45% gains before the token launches.

LILPEPE aims to reach $5 within the next 9 months, driven by its bullish momentum, which is largely attributed to its layer-2 meme nature, adopted by investors.

Why Little Pepe stands out

Little Pepe is getting noticed because it does more than ride the wave of internet humor. Unlike SHIB and DOGE, which rely heavily on their community’s energy, LILPEPE is created on an Ethereum layer-2 network, which means it is quicker and more affordable to use, while also able to scale new meme-inspired utilities.

It is more than just a meme token. It has a meme launchpad and anti-snipper bot protections, giving it the credibility that retail investors now demand. Recent reports from Cointelegraph confirm the presale has already crossed $23.9 million, proving demand is real and not manufactured hype.

Presale gains already locked in

Stage 12 of the presale is almost complete, with tokens selling at $0.0021. That is a 110% jump from the $0.001 price in stage 1. Investors who entered early have already doubled their money on paper. Yet there is still room for newcomers since the launch price is $0.003.

This suggests that those who buy now could see 45% gains before the token even lists. Demand remains extremely strong with more than 15 billion tokens already sold, and the presale is 95% filled. Stage 11 sold out quickly, and history suggests the final stages will likely move even faster.

One of the main reasons LILPEPE has gained investor confidence is transparency. The project recently completed a CertiK audit and scored 95.49%, which is remarkable for a memecoin. It is also listed on CoinMarketCap, giving it added exposure to retail traders worldwide. This listing shows the credibility and security in LILPEPE. Between June and August this year, Little Pepe ranked at the top of ChatGPT 5’s memecoin question trends, surpassing PEPE, Dogecoin, and SHIB.

Conclusion

For those who look back at XRP’s 35,000% surge and wish they had been part of it, Little Pepe may represent a modern parallel as it charts its way to $5 in the next 9 months. The presale is now in stage 12, 95% filled, and tokens are priced at $0.0021. Early buyers have already seen 110% growth; even now, investors can still catch a potential 45% upside before launch.

With strong presale momentum, a CertiK audit, CoinMarketCap listing, and the cultural buzz of being the most talked-about memecoin in ChatGPT conversations, Little Pepe stands out as more than just another meme project. Finding a crypto that combines community fun with real infrastructure is rare, but Little Pepe has managed to do just that. This could be a fresh opportunity worth considering for anyone who regrets missing XRP’s once-in-a-lifetime climb.

To learn more about Little Pepe, visit the website, Telegram, and X.

Disclosure: This content is provided by a third party. Neither crypto.news nor the author of this article endorses any product mentioned on this page. Users should conduct their own research before taking any action related to the company.

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September 7, 2025 0 comments

Beyonce performs at Netflix football, Mariah Carey performs at BET Awards, and animated trio of girls in KPOP demon hunters

Gaming Gear

How to Watch the 2025 MTV VMAs Live Without Cable

by admin September 7, 2025

The MTV Video Music Awards are back, giving fans a chance to vote for their favorite nominees across 19 categories, including best collaboration, best new artist, best choreography and the coveted video of the year. In recent years, the addition of social-driven categories has opened the door for viral artists and internet favorites to take home a trophy, making the competition broader than ever.

This year’s ceremony will be hosted by L.L. Cool J and feature a star-studded lineup of presenters and performers. Names on the roster include Brittany Snow, Ciara, Busta Rhymes, Sabrina Carpenter, Ricky Martin and KPop Demon Hunters stars Audrey Nuna, EJAE and Rei Ami. Fans of the group will also be excited to know their hit single Golden is nominated for Song of the Summer.

The biggest award of the night, Artist of the Year, includes some of music’s most powerful names: Beyoncé, Bad Bunny, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift. Video of the Year features seven nominees, with heavy hitters like Lamar, Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars and Billie Eilish all in the running. Meanwhile, Mariah Carey will take the stage as this year’s Video Vanguard Award honoree, performing a career-spanning set of hits. Carey also has new music on the way — her upcoming album drops later this month, and her single Type Dangerous is nominated for best R&B.

Fans could make their voices heard by casting votes at vote.mtv.com, but votes are now closed. Artists like Alex Warren, Doechii, Leon Thomas, Blake Shelton, Brent Faiyaz and KATSEYE are also up for honors across several different categories.

Here’s everything you need to know to stream the 2025 MTV VMAs live if you don’t have cable or a satellite provider.

How to watch the 2025 MTV VMAs

You can stream the awards broadcast on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) on Paramount Plus Premium and CBS. Right now, the streaming service is offering a deal that cuts the annual price in half.

Cord-cutters who prefer a live TV streaming experience can watch CBS or the MTV channel’s simulcast on platforms such as YouTube TV, DirecTV (check out the $30 entertainment package), Hulu with Live TV or Fubo (its new $56-per-month plan carries CBS).

James Martin/CNET

The VMAs will be available to stream on Paramount Plus Premium only, and not the Paramount Plus Essential plan. Premium costs $13 per month, or $120 a year (without any discounts applied). Each subscription plan comes with a seven-day free trial.

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September 7, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

How to Watch Apple’s iPhone 17 Announcement, and What to Expect

by admin September 7, 2025

Ah, September. The kiddos head back to school, the geese head south for the winter, and we all head to Cupertino to see the new iPhones.

Apple’s latest product launch event is happening on September 9. The livestreamed announcement starts on Tuesday at 10 am Pacific, 1 pm Eastern, and 6 pm British Summer Time. You can watch the livestream right here on this page, on Apple’s website, or on Apple’s YouTube channel. If you’re already deep in the Appleverse, you can also watch in the Apple TV app on any screen where it runs.

For weeks, little nuggets of information about Apple’s forthcoming device lineup have been regularly extracted from the various online rumor mines. Based on those whispers and Apple’s typical release schedule (which rarely varies) we can expect an event filled with announcements. We’ll likely see a full line of iPhones 17, including the base model, the Pro models, and a brand-new ultra-thin version called the iPhone Air. We are also expecting new Apple Watches and new AirPods. All of these devices will surely have some sort of AI-enabled capabilities. There might even be some Apple TV news.

Just know that Apple always stays tight-lipped in the lead-up to its launch events, so the information we’re providing here is speculative. Also, the company likes to drop a surprise or two during its presentation, so keep an eye out for WIRED’s roundup of everything Apple announces once the event ends.

In the meantime, here’s what to look out for.

Air Born

The biggest news of the event might just be about one of the lightest gadgets in the lineup. We’re expecting a new addition to the iPhone lineup called the iPhone 17 Air.

This phone is expected to be noticeably thinner and lighter than other iPhones. The Air is rumored to have a 6.6-inch OLED screen and come in at a svelte 5.5 mm thick. (That’s 2.3 mm thinner than the iPhone 16.)

Given the phone’s slim size, the Air might come with some design tweaks and sacrifices to its internal powers to keep its lithe form. Rumors have indicated that the USB-C port won’t be centered along the bottom of the phone.

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September 7, 2025 0 comments